Diageo PLC's Guinness brewing operation is facing strike action over plans to close down a packaging plant in Ireland, said the company. The company wound down operations at its five Irish breweries on Wednesday in advance of industrial action scheduled for Thursday. Talks between the company and unions collapsed yesterday despite the last minute intervention by The Labour Relations Commission conciliation group. A company spokesman said they were "very disappointed" the strike was going ahead. Five of the company's six unions voted for strike action in protest at the planned closure of a packaging plant in Dundalk, County Louth, later this month with the loss of 140 jobs. Ireland's biggest union, SIPTU, said it "believed the closure is just the tip of the iceberg in relation to the company's plans for all operations in Ireland". The strike could have serious consequences for the supply of Guinness products. Stocks of Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp, Carlsberg and Budweiser could run out in days, according to some industry operators. Tadg O'Sullivan, chief executive of the Vintners' Federation of Ireland, representing about 6,000 pubs around the country, said he expected the strike would mean shortages very quickly. He said some of his members could start to run out of Guinness products by the weekend. "Supplies could dry up very, very quickly." Source : AFX Europe
